CGTalk - Can't import files and play music

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RafiS

07-15-2006, 01:11 PM

I have a little question about getting videos into After Effects....I did look around but haven't really found anything that explains why things aren't working properly.

I'm trying to import a mp3 file into After Effects, this file was made by editing another file together in AE and works ok, but when I import it the first few seconds skips - its like it repeats itself. I don't think it should be a problem with the mp3 file cus I made it in AE and it plays fine but its only when I preview it and it plays the first few seconds twice.

Does anybody know why it would do that.

There's also another problem with importing some of my mpeg video files....its like there are some places where the video doesn't do anything, so for a few seconds I only see the same frame even when I reduce the preview size it still doesn't make any difference.

There's also a few mpeg files where I just don't see the video, but only the audio.

And it just doesn't recognise m2v files....I've got a few videos which are m2v and they play but when I try to import them into AE it doesn't recognise them.

Sorry I'm asking so many questions but I like using AE and haven't really had all these problems before.

Any help would be really cool.

Khalor

07-15-2006, 01:49 PM

AE can't handle mp3 files and the associated formats - you need to convert it to something like .wav to be able to work with it properly in AE. Goldwave, Audacity, and many others do this for free.

You could be having codec problems with the video files - AE is not really built to handle web-share codecs often found in MPG files and the like. As for .m2v, it's not really a standard format.

Solution: Use something like Quicktime Pro to convert the MPGs into AVIs, then bring them into After Effects.

EDIT: And at long-last I run into a New Zealand guy in the AE section of CGTalk. Woo-hoo.

RafiS

07-15-2006, 11:14 PM

RafiS

07-15-2006, 11:19 PM

Oh....and you use lightwave....now that's really rare:)

I used to use lightwave and I still do....and I love it lol, but learning how to use maya now.

beenyweenies

07-16-2006, 05:41 AM

Hey Nick,

Thanks for telling me about the music files....I didn't really know it couldn't handle mp3 files....seems a bit strange it can't since its so popular but still....I'll convert it and have a look....thanks for telling me which program to use to convert it....I know you can find stuff on google but everytime I look for codecs or programs which covert I always find a lot of stuff and I never know which ones are good.

About the mpeg files, I'll convert them into avis and see if they work....I did convert a few of my mpeg videos into avis but I did them using another program and it didn't really work so I'll try it again.

Yeah, I searched for things that convert m2v videos into avis and didn't really find any program....atleast one that worked properly....but yeah, I know m2v isn't very popular....I'll keep looking.

Oh and yes....I know what that's like....finding another kiwi in here....I've only really seen 2 more guys who are from NZ but NONE who are from Auckland :)

The problem, in a nut shell, is that AE is made for professional-level broadcast design, so there is no point in them making it work with codecs and formats that no professional would be using. MP3s are great for casual listening, but it's not a good idea to use compressed material as your source for a broadcast project. Same goes with Divx and all these funky flavors out there - they are heavily compressed and of little use in professional scenarios so the developers at AE didn't include support for them. I suppose they figured that anyone using After Effects for working on their Divx/Xvid/DVD Rip movies is probably using a cracked version of AE anyway, so why bother?

RafiS

07-16-2006, 06:41 AM

I guess your right....I'm trying to make something with different music videos which I downloaded (just to see movement and composition) and trying to edit it to a music I have....so yeah, most of them don't work because they're all compressed.

What would you say is the best way to export a music file....I exported it both as a wav and as an mp3 but I want it to be the best quality.

Oh, and I'm using the program at school which is why its sorta hard to test codecs and things cus I can't install anything on the computer so I have to go home and test the videos, then come back and see if they will play on the program....so yeah, still searching for something that will convert m2vs into avis which will work properly.

scrimski

07-16-2006, 09:29 AM

What would you say is the best way to export a music file....I exported it both as a wav and as an mp3 but I want it to be the best quality.

Export either as uncompressed wav or AIFF. Avoid mp3 if you are heading for quality.

For converting mpeg2(or m2v which is quite the same) into avi try aviDemux

http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/

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